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Optical connector systemRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Connectors, Self Aligning Contact, Contact Mounted In Floating Nonconductive HolderOptical connector system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070190841, Optical connector system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The invention relates to an optical connector system comprising a backpanel and at least one substrate having at least one substrate housing assembly and a first interface part for establishing an optical interface. [0002] Optical connector systems typically comprise a backpanel with a plurality of system cards or substrates. These substrates usually comprise both optical and electrical connections to establish optical and electrical interfaces with corresponding elements on the backpanel. Alignment typically is of crucial importance to provide a low loss optical interface. Therefore it is often required for such optical connector systems that the optical interfaces are completed before the electrical connections are established, as the latter may otherwise disturb the alignment for the optical interface. [0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,796 discloses a backpanel connector system comprising a backpanel connector, a board connector and a plurality of connector plugs for optical fibres. The backpanel connector comprises a first and a second housing. The second housing is slidably mounted in said first housing in a z-direction extending perpendicular to the bottom of the first housing. The backpanel connector system is designed to use both electrical and optical connectors. If the board connector and the backpanel connector are connected first the optical connection is established. The electrical connection requires a further approaching movement of the board connector and the backpanel connector, which movement is facilitated by the slidably mounted second housing of the board connector. [0004] A drawback of such a backpanel connector system is that the backpanel connector requires a hole in the backpanel wherein the first and second housings are accommodated resulting in limited routing freedom for optical and electrical signal tracks and electromagnetic interference. [0005] It is an object of the invention to provide an optical connector system wherein holes are no longer required while optical and electrical interfaces can be appropriately established. [0006] This object is achieved by providing an optical connector system characterized in that said backpanel comprises an integrated second optical interface part adapted to complete said optical interface and said substrate housing assembly is adapted to provide relative movement of said substrate with respect to said optical interface. By integrating the second optical interface part in the backpanel, less or none external connections such as cables or flexes are required, for transmission of signals between components of e.g. different substrates, while the movable substrate housing assembly ensures completion of the optical interface between the interface parts before the electrical connections are established. Thus, the movement of the housings to first establish the optical interface is provided at the substrate instead of at the backpanel. The substrate housing assembly comprises at least a component that is adapted to move with respect to the optical interface at least after said optical interface is formed. Consequently the backpanel housing can have an integrated optical interface part with increased routing possibilities and reduced influence of electromagnetic radiation. [0007] In an embodiment of the invention the substrate housing assembly is slidably mounted on said substrate. This may e.g. be achieved by providing the substrate housing assembly or the substrate with one or more spring elements that respectively cooperate with the substrate or the substrate housing assembly. These spring elements may provide the relative movement of the substrate with respect to the optical interface to complete the optical interface before electrical connections are established. [0008] In an embodiment of the invention the substrate housing assembly is attached to said substrate and comprises a further housing with said first interface part that is slidably mounted in a z-direction of said substrate housing assembly. Preferably the substrate housing assembly comprises a biasing arrangement for said further housing adapted to release said further housing substantially after completion of said optical interface. In such an embodiment after having completed the optical interface, the substrate housing assembly exerts no residual force on the backpanel. Consequently damage of components or signal tracks of the backpanel may be avoided. The further housing may be accommodated at least partly within the substrate housing assembly. [0009] In an embodiment of the invention the further housing comprises at least one ferrule assembly for optical fibres at a mating side and alignment elements to align said first interface part and said second interface part. This alignment ensures an adequate optical connection resulting in a low loss optical interface. Preferably the backpanel comprises a backpanel housing assembly, wherein the backpanel housing assembly and the substrate housing assembly comprise locking elements adapted to lock said housings after completion of said optical interface. The locking elements prevent the optical interface to be interrupted accidentally. [0010] The invention is particularly advantageous in a system wherein said backpanel comprises one or more first electrical contacts and said substrate comprises one or more second electrical contacts and said optical connector system is further arranged to establish electrical connections between said first and second electrical contacts after establishment of said optical interface. [0011] The invention further relates to a substrate housing assembly for a substrate adapted for mounting to a backpanel housing assembly of a backpanel to establish an optical interface for optical connection between said substrate and said backpanel. The substrate housing assembly is adapted to comprise a further housing with a mating side forming a first interface part for said optical interface, said further housing being slidably mountable in a z-direction of said substrate housing assembly. Preferably the substrate housing assembly comprises biasing means adapted to release said further housing after completion of said optical interface. [0012] The invention will be further illustrated with reference to the attached drawings, which show a preferred embodiment according to the invention. It will be understood that the invention is not in any way restricted to this specific and preferred embodiment. IN THE DRAWINGS [0013] FIG. 1 schematically shows a part of an optical connector system with optical and electrical connections; [0014] FIG. 2 shows an optical connector system according to a first embodiment of the invention; [0015] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the backpanel housing assembly of the optical connector system of FIG. 2; [0016] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the substrate housing assembly of the optical connector system of FIG. 2; [0017] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the further housing of the substrate housing assembly of FIG. 4; [0018] FIGS. 6A-6D show cross-sections of the optical connector system of FIG. 2 at several stages of connection; [0019] FIG. 7 shows an optical connector system according to a second embodiment of the invention, and [0020] FIGS. 8A-8D show cross-section of the optical connector system of FIG. 7 at several stages of connection. [0021] FIG. 1 displays a schematical illustration of an optical connector system 1 comprising a backpanel 2 and a substrate 3. Optical communication may be established via optical waveguides 4 and cables 5 with a component 6 on the substrate 3. The optical communication may involve a first interface part 7 and a second interface part 8 to establish an optical interface for the optical communication. The second interface part 8 is integrated in the backpanel 2. Further first electrical contacts 9 and second electrical contacts 10 are respectively provided at the backpanel 2 and the substrate 3 to allow transmission of electrical signals. As alignment is of crucial importance to provide a low loss optical interface, it is highly preferred for such optical connector systems 1 that the optical interfaces are completed before the electrical connections between the first and second electrical contacts 9, 10 are established, because the latter may otherwise disturb the alignment for the optical interface. [0022] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the dashed area A of the optical connector system 1 of FIG. 1 comprising a backpanel housing assembly 20 mounted on the backpanel 2 and a substrate housing assembly 30 attached to the substrate 3. Detailed illustrations of the backpanel housing assembly 20 and the substrate housing assembly 30 are provided in FIG. 3 respectively FIGS. 4 and 5. [0023] FIGS. 2 and 3 shows a backpanel 2 with the integrated second optical interface part 8 to allow optical communication with the waveguide 4 by employing ferrule parts 23. The ferrule parts 23 comprise a two-dimensional array of holes for optical fibres. The ferrule parts 23 further comprise alignment elements 24, e.g. holes, to align the second interface part 8 with the first interface part 7 at the side of the substrate as shown in more detail in FIG. 6. Continue reading about Optical connector system... Full patent description for Optical connector system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Optical connector system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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